Members of the Synod of Bishops experienced a new way of being church and are committing to sharing it, said the two cardinals who guided its work.
Synodality
Pope warns against becoming a ‘sedentary’ church after synod’s close
Three years after he asked the world’s Catholics to walk together in faith on a synodal journey, Pope Francis said that the church cannot risk becoming “static” but must continue as a “missionary church that walks with her Lord through the streets of the world.”
Synod calls for quick steps to involve more people in church life
Parishes and dioceses must move quickly to give life to the consultative bodies and broad participation in mission and ministry already foreseen by church law if the Catholic Church is to have any hope of becoming a more “synodal” church, members of the Synod of Bishops said.
Publishing synod document, pope says he will not write exhortation
After members of the Synod of Bishops approved their final document, Pope Francis announced that he would not write the customary post-synodal apostolic exhortation but would offer the final document to the entire church to implement.
Archbishop on war in Ukraine: U.S. ‘must not fall into isolationism’
After a two-day trip to Ukraine Oct.19-20, Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore said that U.S. Catholics must thoughtfully consider the implications of recent escalations in the region without succumbing to polarized political discourse.
Church must empower women, Cardinal Fernández tells synod members
The Catholic Church must take concrete steps — and soon — to recognize and empower women’s leadership and ministry in the church, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, told members of the Synod of Bishops.
Analysis: Permanent deacons are key to a ‘synodal missionary church’ — the synod needed them
Most of the world’s dioceses do not have permanent deacons as envisioned by Vatican II — in fact, the United States alone accounts for almost 21,000 of the some 50,000 permanent deacons globally in the Catholic Church today.
Synod members elect council to oversee implementation, plan next synod
Members of the Synod of Bishops elected Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas, and Bishop Alain Faubert of Valleyfield, Quebec, to be the North American members of the Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod.
Synod is lesson in moving at ‘pace of the Holy Spirit,’ archbishop says
Change in the Catholic Church, including a commitment to recognizing women’s leadership gifts and being more welcoming of all people, happens slowly and deliberately, which is a good thing in a rapidly changing world, said the archbishop of Seattle.
Synod deliberates on doctrinal authority of bishops’ conferences
Recognizing the doctrinal authority of bishops’ conferences does not mean allowing them to reject the teaching authority of the pope, but rather to apply church teaching to their unique context, said the head of the Vatican Dicastery for Bishops.
U.S. church contributes to synod through its diversity, delegate says
The U.S. delegates at the Synod of Bishops on synodality are contributing to discussions on the future of the Catholic Church by bringing the diversity of the U.S. church to the Vatican, a U.S. synod delegate said.
Synodality is already well-rooted in Asia, Africa, two members say
Catholics in Asia and Africa have already been leading the way with synodality, two members of the Synod of Bishops on synodality said.